Inevitable
by chapellefan
Summary: For Dr. Manhattan, things end as quickly as they began. Slight Janey/Jon and Laurie/Jon


**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own Watchmen. Watchmen is copyrighted to DC comics, Alan Moore, Dave Gibson and John Higgins as well as Warner Bros. Please support the official release.

_**Inevitable**_

It is October, 1985. I am on Mars. I am two hundred and twenty-seven million kilometers from the sun. One hundred and fifteen minutes into the future, the meteorites hail down through the rarefied atmosphere of Mars. I am looking at the stars. They are so far away and their light takes so long to reach us.

It is May 12th, 1959. I am a young scientist joining the research facility Gila Flats. I am being shown around to a bar called The Bestiary by a man named Wally Weaver. Across the room, I notice a woman in a magenta gridded shirt with a set of short jet black hair. She is beautiful. Wally notices this and introduces us.

"Janey Slater, meet Jon Osterman. Jon's from Princeton."

"Ohhh...The new guy!" Her voice is soft, like a low murmur. "You're replacing Hank Meadows, right?"

"I am?" I ask. I am unaware of my predecessor.

"I guess so. Hank died last fall, some kinda tumor. There's his picture behind the bar there. The guy with glasses. Y'know, you're pretty young for a research scientist."

I reply bashfully, almost ashamed of myself. "Well, you know...my Dad sort of pushed me into it. That happens to me a lot. Other people seem to make all my moves for me."

"Mm. I'll bet. Can I get you a drink?" She buys me an alcoholic beverage, the first time any woman had done this for me. As she passes the cool drink, our fingers touch.

It is May, 1966. Janey is packing her things and tearful. "You pig! I knew you were seeing her! I knew it! You're sick! How old is she? Fourteen? Fifteen? Pig!"

I try to calm her down, knowing there is no stopping her.

"You tell her! You tell her what it's gonna be like when her face wrinkles up and her boobs start sagging and you're still goddamn thirty! You tell her and see what she says to that!"

It is May, 1984. I am attempting to locate a gluino, thus validating the super symmetrical theory. I will not be successful for more than a year from now.

Laurie is shouting at me. She claims that I have forgotten what day it is. I have not.

"Real nice, Jon!" She shouts at me. An hour from now, we will be making love. "You forgot our 18th anniversary of when we met! You don't even take me out while you're too busy playing physcist all the time!"

"You may assist me if you wish." I said, knowing she would flat out refuse.

She does.

"'May' assist you? Oh what, am I your lab assistant, now? Huh? Am I some child that you have to baby-sit while you're off saving the whole goddamn world?"

It is November 22nd, 1963. John F. Kennedy has been assassinated by a sniper. Janey is shouting at me.

"So, what you're saying is you knew he'd get shot? Jon, I...I mean if you're serious, I mean, why didn't you do something?"

I try to explain it to her, attempting to make her understand. She won't.

"I can't prevent the future. To me, it's already happening."

"Jon, what are you saying? That you know the future? About everything? About us?"

"In 1959, I could hear you shouting here. Now, in 1963 soon we make love..."

"Just like that? Like I'm a puppet? Jon, you know how everything fits together except people. Your prediction is way off, mister."

"No. We make love right after Wally arrives with the earrings I ordered for you..."

"Shut up! You're messing up my mind, Jon! I think you're messing everything up!"

Wally is at the door. In three seconds, he will ring the doorbell.

"I mean, all this new technology, all because of you! Things are happening too fast. Things shouldn't...Was that the doorbell?"

Janey walks to the door. After a brief exchange with Wally, she comes back unwrapping the earrings.

She accepts the inevitable.

"Jon? I-I'm scared. I feel like there's big invisible things all around me. Will you hold me, please?"

It is 1966. I am in a room of people wearing disguises. A very young girl wearing a yellow dress with black sits to my right. She has amber brown hair and a small mole on her right cheek.

It is 1985. My hands are encircling her is 1966. Janey pulls my arm. The people in costumes continue to bicker.

"What is the matter?"

"You were staring at that girl is the matter! Now pay attention!"

It is May, 1966. I am sitting with this girl on a rooftop. I do not know her name. In 1985, my hands will be encircling her face. "I...I don't know what I should call you. My name's Laurie. Do you have another name, apart from Dr. Manhattan?"

"Yes. My name is Jon."

She is beautiful. After each long kiss, she plants a smaller, gentler one upon my lips, like a signature.

I embrace her, knowing full well the consequences.

It is Christmas, 1959. After unwrapping a gold band and comparing it to an atomic structure, Janey holds her arms. I ask if she is cold.

"No...I'm not cold. I'm scared."

"Of me?" I ask.

"No. Yes. Oh, god look, I...I'm just scared because everything feels weird. It's as if everything's changed. Not just you: everything!"

She continues her frantic speech, as I continue to listen.

"They say you're like God now."

"I don't think there is a god, Janey. If there is, I'm not him. I'm still the same person. Nothing changed."

I hold her face in my hands. "I still want you. I'll always want you."

As I lie, I hear her shouting at me in 1963, sobbing in 1966.

It is May, 1984. I am attempt to locate a Gulino while Laurie continues to shout at me.

"That's it, Jon! I'm leaving! If you're so careless and so involved in your work, then I don't see any reason why I should stay!"

Laurie walks over to the door, attempting to leave only to be stopped by a guard.

"Ms. Juspeczyx?" The guard asks. "I have an anniversary gift from the jewelers. Dr. Manhattan wishes you a happy 18th anniversary." As the guard leaves, as Laurie looks in awe of her present, I feel a warm set of hands wrap around me.

"Oh, Jon-I'm just confu-"

I turn to her and look at her. "No matter what happens, I'll always want you."

As I lie to her, I see her yelling in 1985, wrapped around Dan Dreiburg.

It is 1959. I meet a beautiful woman named Janey Slater.

It is 1966. I meet a beautiful woman named Laurie Juspeczyx.

It is 1985. Laurie leaves me to go on a dinner date with Dan Dreiburg.

It is 1966. Janey accuses me of 'chasing jailbait' as she packs her things and leaves.

While I am standing still.

It is October, 1985. I am on Mars. I am looking at the stars. They are so far away and their light takes so long to reach us.


End file.
